Who channels at Whitebridge in EotW? Thom?

[Lacey]

So, I have read the books several times- the EotW the most.  I have also listened to the audio books.  One part always nags at me.  When Thom, Mat, and Rand are in Whitebridge and Thom saves the boys from the myrddraal a blue flash is described.  Later, when Lan, Moraine, and Nynaeve reach Whitebridge there are several houses burned (none of which stand next to each other), and they hear a rumor of the “trouble” being caused by a man channeling. 

 

I am convinced someone channeled.  I do not think it was anyone on the fade’s side.  You would assume that if a darkfriend (that could channel) or forsaken where there the boys would not have escaped.  They would have used their channeling skills to catch them as opposed to involving their selves in the Fade/Thom fight.  It also could not have been Rand, because he did not stick around to burn several buildings to the ground.  All arrows are pointing to Thom.  The problem is Thom is hardly insane.  However, his nephew could channel, and it has been mentioned in the books that channeling might be hereditary (statements about culling the ability out of people by stilling men who can channel... and then the men die... no breeding).  If not Thom…. Then who?  I searched the forum for similar topics to this one.  Here is what I found:

 

In the Moraine – Case Closed thread:

 

“P.S. Also, I like michelob’s idea of Tom channeling. It would explain his frustration with the Red Ajah not giving his nephew enough time to deal with it and also his survival from the Murdrahl in Whitebridge.” – posted by Jeff from MI

 

“Thom can't channel. If he could, he would be either a sparker, and thus long since gone mad and wasted away, and died, or a learner, in which case what started him channeling? It's not easy for a learner to self teach, and why would Thom go to the effort? In short, WRONG. Not a good total. Most of this stuff is flat out wrong. And other things can explain his survival, other than something which we have no evidence of.” - Posted by  Mr Ares

 

“Concerning Thom and the myrddraal, when he deflected the myrddraal's blow with his knives, there was a blue flash similar to the one witnessed in Lan's sword fight with them near Shadar Logoth in tEotW, indicating that, like Lan's heron mark blade, Thom's knives may well be Power-wrought. That would go a long way toward explaining his survival.” – Posted by Gentled Ben

 

I have tried to find the post Jeff from MI references as michelob’s.  However, I cannot find it.  Have at her…… be nice!  ;)

[Solarian]

I'm more inclined to believe that the blue flash is just the reflection of light off of his daggers, probably of the sky (is the weather mentioned anywhere in that chapter? This explanation is more likely if the day is described as sunny, or clear), or the water (again, is the distance to the river mentioned?). I don't feel that the blades Thom used were Power-wrought; any such blades would be considered his best, and he claimed to have lost his best blades fleeing Shadar Logoth. So unless he carries an incredibly unnatural amount of such blades, the knives used at Whitebridge were likely nothing special.

 

As for the fires? Well, a Myrdraal engaging in combat in the middle of a town square is likely to cause a great deal of panic - after all, it is a creature of the Dark One, often thought of and dismissed as nothing more than fantasy. There were probably riots and paranoid Darkfriend-hunts.

 

Thom's survival, while it may seem miraculous, is nothing less than one should expect from such an incredibly skilled man.

[mb]

I also think that the blue flash is from Thom's dagger instead of from channeling.

 

Riots would be a good explanation of the fires.

 

If anyone channeled, it would most likely be either Rand or the myrddraal.

It seems doubtful of it being Rand since the amount of the One Power required to cause the fires would have been more than what Rand gained by the time.

The myrddraal would be more likely, yet Shaidar Haran seems to be the only myrddraal that can channel and the myrddraal might not have been him.  Or if it was him, I am not sure if he could have had enough of either Power (One Power, True Power) to cause each of the effects.

 

[Roxinos]

The blue flashes are most certainly the result of the clash of daggers on Thakan'dar-forged blades. It is a common occurrence. Thom's daggers are special. It is debatable whether or not they are Power-wrought, but they are certainly special. We know for a fact that whenever Power-wrought blades meet Thakan'dar-forged blades, blue flashes of lightning are the result.

 

Just for a qoute:

 

tSR pg. 612 paperback

 

"...Mat was vaguely aware of Rand with that fiery sword suddenly in hand, but then he was sucked into the maelstrom himself, wielding his spear as spear and quarterstaff both, slash and thrust, haft whirling. For once he was glad of those dream memories; the way of this weapon seemed familiar, and he needed every scrap of skill he could find. It was all chaotic madness.

 

Trollocs rose up in front of him and went down to his spear, or an Aiel spear, or spun away into the confusion of shouts and howls and clanging steel. Myrddraal faced him, black blades meeting his raven-marked steel with flashes of blue light like sheet lightening..."

 

Same light. Power-wrought blade meeting Thakan'dar-forged steel results in sheets of blue lightning.

[Ortham.Vega.]

ok , i may be totally crazy but ive always believed this was rands doing, and whos to say what someone that strong in the power is capeable of, even whithout understanding, certanly a few sparks, i do however see that Thom has a bigger part possibly, very Gandalf like, if he can channel he does so rarly or not at all.

there is the thom and moraine bond that is strange, and thom also was a lover of Morgase , this is somthing that i hope is adressed in this last book , as Thom is always one of my fovorite to read about, i know that the mat,thom,and (forget the 3rd person) will go to the tower of snakes/foxes to rescue moraine...

 

[Roxinos]

ok , i may be totally crazy but ive always believed this was rands doing,

 

You've always believed what was Rand's doing?

 

The blue lightning was obviously NOT his doing. And the fires have been explained.

[DaTaimsta]

I strongly suspect that the Fade was Shaidar Haran for a few reasons. I believe it is when they're at the inn in Baerlon, and Rand is approached by a Fade that comes and approaches him with a smile. I think he's also approached by a smiling Fade again before Whitebridge, but I may be wrong. I think he tracked them to Whitebridge and then lost them when Thom distracted him.

 

As we known, SH can use the TP. His waves are not detected by any Forsaken and he can shield them from the Power completely, indicating that he can either channel or was given some godly power by the DO for being his supreme servant (with the exception of maybe Moridin, but that's for another discussion). Either way, I think the blue lightning is the result of Thom's knives and the Fade's power wrought blade clashing, as we see when Mat's Ashandarei or however you spell it clashes with Thakan'dar forged blades later on. Then, either a mob looking for Darkfriends or Shaidar Haran caused the fires to try and smoke Rand and Mat out maybe, because he might not have seen EXACTLY where they went and may have thought they hid in one of those houses.

[ROB_88]

There is no indication that it is SH himself, ewen in TDR it was just an early crude version, would this be an early early early version?!

i think it was just a normal Myrdraal with his normal Myrdraal-abilities and features

[Mr Ares]

I am convinced someone channeled.

Why?

[Kadere]

The effect was not created by Thom or his daggers. He can't channel.

 

Q: If a Fades blade will not produce lighting except against other Thakandar wrought blades, and power-wrought blades, Why do Thom's daggers produce it when he attacks the Fade at Whitebridge?

A: thoms daggers did not produce the effect. It was produced before thom reached the fade.

[Gentled Ben]

Well...that certainly makes this a more interesting topic, doesn't it?

 

Rand does not have a Power-acquisition issue during or right after Whitebridge, does he?

[Duneflayer]

i'm gonna go with Rand because as Moraine tells him at the end of EotW he channeled without meaning to the night they escape from Eamonds field when he's saying to himself "Run Bela, run," that just my take on it

[Generic Aelfinn #2]

The effect was not created by Thom or his daggers. He can't channel.

 

Q: If a Fades blade will not produce lighting except against other Thakandar wrought blades, and power-wrought blades, Why do Thom's daggers produce it when he attacks the Fade at Whitebridge?

A: thoms daggers did not produce the effect. It was produced before thom reached the fade.

 

where exactly did that come from?  first time i've ever seen that question/answer